Despite tea party, Texas Republicans pick Straus for House speaker

Joe Straus endorsed by Texas House GOP Caucus

GARY SCHARRER, AUSTIN BUREAU

Published 6:30 am, Monday, January 10, 2011

AUSTIN — The Texas House Republican Caucus on Monday overwhelming endorsed incumbent Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, for another term despite loud protests from tea party groups that insisted on a more conservative leader.

Straus received 70 votes from 100 members attending the caucus meeting. The vote is nonbinding but virtually guarantees Straus' re-election today when the Legislature opens a new session.

"This is a strong, united step toward what will be a difficult session," Straus said after the nearly hourlong meeting.

House Democrats criticized the GOP's nomination of a speaker, saying the use of a party caucus to choose the next speaker will diminish the bipartisan spirit that has long distinguished Texas government.

Lining up opposition

"The professional political class has decided that they wanted Straus and what the constituents wanted didn't matter," said Mike Openshaw, a database developer from Plano who runs the website NorthTexasTeaParty.org. "Discussions are already under way, starting as of today, about what kind of primary opponents we're going to get for many of these people."

Straus, a traditional mainstream Republican who focuses on fiscal issues and calls himself a fiscal conservative, is disdained by conservative activists who have targeted him since the fall election, when the GOP piled up a 101-49 majority over Democrats in the House.

They question his willingness to back their plans to pursue anti-immigration bills, voter ID legislation and stronger anti-abortion bills.

Much of the opposition has been manufactured, Straus said, adding he expects to win over his critics as they get a chance to watch his leadership this session.

The caucus took only one ballot to pick Straus. Taylor credited the power of incumbency to help Straus survive opposition from conservative groups and challenges from Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, and Rep. Ken Paxton, R-McKinney.

The coming session will be difficult, and "we don't need to be having changeover," Taylor added.

Democrats sour

House Democrats took a dim view of the GOP caucus meeting.

"It's never a good idea to have a speaker elected from a caucus of either party," Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said.

Added Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, "Folks who criticize the Washington style politics are committing to a process ..... (of) exactly what they do in Washington."

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